UP Police SIT to probe Hindu leader Kamlesh Tiwari's murder

Kamlesh, leader of a Hindu party, was shot dead in a broad daylight in Lucknow on Friday after attackers barged into his office and opened fire on him and stabbed him.

ANI Photo

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the murder of Hindu Samaj Party president Kamlesh Tiwari, who was shot dead at his residence in Naka area in Lucknow earlier in the day. 

SK Bhagat (Inspector General Lucknow), Dinesh Puri (Superintendent of Police Crime Lucknow) and PK Mishra (Deputy Superintendent of Police Special Task Force) are part of the SIT probing the case. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a report from the  Principal Secretary (Home) and Director General of Police (DGP) in the case.

Kamlesh was the former leader of Hindu Mahasabha and had founded the Hindu Samaj Party. He was shot dead in a broad daylight after attackers barged into his office and opened fire and stabbed him. The police recovered a revolver from the site of the crime.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh had said accused knew Tiwari as they spent around 30 minutes with him on the pretext of gifting him sweets. 

After the killing, the deceased's family claimed that they had been receiving death threats for the last two years and despite asking many times for police security, nothing substantial was done by the government. The family held the government as well as the administration responsible for the murder. 

The family has also refused to cremate the Hindu leader's body until CM Yogi Adityanath pays them a visit. 

However, the police said that Tiwari was already provided security and one of the two guards deployed in his security was stationed outside his house when the incident took place. As per the police, the guards had let in the accused after receiving a confirmation from the leader. 

Meanwhile, traders in Sitapur and Mahmudabad will keep their shops closed to protest against the killing of the Hindu leader. A few pro-Hindu outfits are also expected to stage protest against the killing. 

On Friday, a lesser-known outfit Al-Hind Brigade took the responsibility behind the attack on the Hindu Mahasabha leader though the authenticity of the claim could not immediately be verified. The police is investigating if the outfit has any link with any global terror organisation. 

Tiwari had hit the headlines in 2015 when he made a derogatory remark against Prophet Muhammad. Following his controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad, protests had taken place in different parts of the country and Tiwari was booked under the National Security Act for making provocative remarks against Prophet Mohammad.